


Number One

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Category: Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: #PicardNeedsBev, F/M, PicarDog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 05:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Jean-Luc Picard gets a dog.***SPOILERS FOR STAR TREK: PICARD***





	Number One

**Author's Note:**

> Second warning: Spoilers for Star Trek Picard, based on what we've seen on the latest poster released!

Captain Beverly Picard of the _USS Pasteur_ smiled to herself as she beamed down just outside the gate leading up the narrow lane to the large manor house she and her husband, retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, lived in. The house had been in the Picard family for centuries and had been mostly uninhabited for the past ten due to a fire that consumed the lives of Jean-Luc’s older brother and nephew. Marie, Jean-Luc’s sister-in-law, didn’t want to live in the house even after it was rebuilt and chose to continue to live in the small guest house she had inhabited while the work was being done to restore the house. 

Jean-Luc had left Starfleet. He still wouldn’t tell Beverly exactly why, and she was sure she would get the information out of him eventually. He had been given the honorarium of Admiral – a position that had been dangled in front of his nose more times than Beverly cared to remember. Jean-Luc had scoffed and said he was really quite happy being a Captain, but he did seem secretly pleased when the new pips and uniform had arrived. He never wore it. The uniform was still wrapped in plastic in the closet, and Beverly was sure the pips were still attached to the card they arrived on, but Starfleet had, nonetheless, sent him the items. 

Beverly had offered to retire alongside with him, stating that they had spent enough time apart after she was given the captaincy of the _Pasteur,_ but Jean-Luc knew Beverly wouldn’t have been satisfied with an early retirement. Instead, they had a relationship that reminded Beverly of her first marriage to Jack Crusher, Jean-Luc’s best friend. When she and Jack had been married, she was a medical student and he was serving on the _Stargazer_ with Jean-Luc. They had spent most of their shore leaves shuttling back and forth to see each other. It had become even harder for the couple once Beverly had given birth to Wesley, but somehow they had made it work until his death when Wesley was only five.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to worry about their son. Rene Jacques Robert Francois was eighteen, and in his second year at Starfleet Academy, though Beverly had a strong feeling Rene would return to the vineyard instead of pursuing a career in Starfleet, much like her first son had abandoned Starfleet for a life as a traveller. Beverly would see Rene during his summer break, when she would take additional leave to come home. Beverly was considering retiring herself, and wanted to discuss the matter with Jean-Luc while she was home. She paused in her thought as she heard the soft barking of a puppy. _Puppy?_ _We don’t have any dogs around here. Cats, yes. Plenty of barn cats and kittens...but no dogs._

Just then, a small brown blur came running down the dirt path and began circling her ankles, jumping up and placing its tiny paws on her legs .

“Number One, you get back here!” Beverly grinned and looked down at the puppy. “Number One, eh?” She scooped the tiny pitbull in her arms and her face promptly was licked. _Uugh._

Jean-Luc finally caught up and smiled. “I see you’ve met Number One.” He gave Beverly a quick kiss and took the small dog from her.

“I have. What...where...” She trailed off, finally settling on, “Why?” 

“I was lonely without you. A neighbour’s dog had puppies and....” Beverly softly smiled.

“You adopted one and named it Number One.” He grinned.

“I did. Don’t tell Will or Worf.” 

“Well, Walker _was_ a dog....” They both grinned, remembering their fallen friend. Walker loved going out to bars and picking up girls on shore leave, but never had settled down. He had been killed by a parasite trying to worm its way into Starfleet over twenty years ago. Beverly still missed him. Beverly reached out and scratched the puppy under his chin. “He _is_ kind of cute. But..a pitbull? Aren’t they mean?” 

“No!” Jean-Luc exclaimed, pressing a kiss between the puppy’s eyes. “They’re only mean if their owners train them to be mean. Number One will be well-trained.”

“By you?” She snorted. 

“What’s wrong with me training our dog?” Beverly rolled her eyes.

“Nothing, except remember when Rene was learning how to tie his shoes and you kept giving him biscuits every time he tied them correctly? Is this going to end up like that?” 

“No, of course not. I promise!” Jean-Luc set the puppy down and patted its rear. “Trot on home, Number One. We’ll be right behind you.” The dog looked back at Jean-Luc and started back towards the house and Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around Beverly, kissing her soundly. “I’m sorry. Is this something I should have asked you about?” 

“No...of course not. I just would have liked a little bit of warning that I was coming home to a new dog.” She twined her fingers in his. “And if you were missing me...I mean, did you have to replace me with a _dog?_ ” He chuckled. 

“You know that isn’t what I did. I just needed a bit of companionship while I work.” 

“Hmm. What does Marie think of the pup?” 

“I don’t think she likes him very much. She wanted to know why I couldn’t just have brought a barn cat or two into the house instead.” Beverly laughed and allowed Jean-Luc to escort her back towards their house. 

“I must admit, I’d have suggested a cat or two, too. But...if you’re happy, and you want a dog....we have a dog now.” Jean-Luc smiled. 

“Thank you.” 

“Mm. But _you’re_ cleaning up after him!” 

“Nah, it’s good fertilizer for the grapes.” Beverly snorted and arm in arm, the reunited couple walked into their home, with Number One patiently waiting by the door. 

“Uhm, Jean-Luc, where has Number One been sleeping?” Jean-Luc gave Beverly a sheepish look. 

“In our bed with me.” She shook her head.

“No. I’m going to draw the line at having a dog in bed with us. We can put a bed at the foot of the bed for him, but I’d like to have my husband to myself in bed, thank you very much.” 

“Well...maybe only when you’re away.”

“He’d only get used to it and not understand why he can’t when I’m home. Besides, I might be retiring soon.” She dropped her bag by the door and headed into the kitchen to get a pot of tea from the replicator before Jean-Luc had a chance to ask her what she meant. “I assume you want a cup?”

“Yes, please.” Beverly glanced down at the puppy who was now wagging his tail at her. 

“I suppose you want fed?” Number One wagged his tail harder. Beverly rolled her eyes. 

“Jean-Luc, what have you been feeding him?” 

“Uhm, Puppy Chow number three.” Beverly nodded and pressed the button on the replicator an ordered the food for the dog. 

“There you go, Number One.” When she placed the dish on the floor, Number One nudged her hand with his nose, making her smile. She scratched him behind his ears once more before standing. “Right then. I think we’ll take our tea in the living room. I’ll sort out a bed for Number One later.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you AO3 tag wranglers for adding a Picard works tag!


End file.
